


Through the Barricades

by Blueskydancers



Series: Secrets and Consequences [18]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit RPF, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2018-12-20 23:45:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11931837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueskydancers/pseuds/Blueskydancers
Summary: Sean and Lan are back at work as private investigators when a new client recommended by an old friend arrives with a problem.





	1. 23rd December 1986

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the delay in posting this - the last part of the Secrets and Consequences series written so far - once this is done I'll continue posting Survival of the Fittest - Battle for Erebor.

**23rd December 1986**

_It's a terrible beauty we've made_  
_So we make our love on wasteland_  
_And through the barricades_  
_Through the Barricades – Spandau Ballet_

Lan hurriedly locked the car door and headed for the office. The weather forecast on the radio that morning had predicted a white Christmas with blizzards due at any time and by the time he reached the doorway he was shivering. He opened the door moving into the welcome warmth. A chilling gust of wind followed him inside setting the string of Christmas cards that Daphne had pinned up behind her desk fluttering. The small Christmas tree on her desk swayed too but fortunately didn’t fall over or lose any of its glass baubles.

“Morning, Lando.” Daphne, their long suffering office manager smiled at him as he closed the door carefully.

“Hello, Daph, it’s bloody cold out there.” He walked over to the coat stand and shrugged out of his jacket, grimacing at the constant ache from his arm in the cold weather.

“Shall I get you a cup of tea?” She half stood but then sank back into her chair when Lan shook his head.

“No thanks. I’ll wait until Sean gets here; he’s doing the last of our Christmas food shopping before coming in.”

Making himself comfortable he looked over at Daphne. “So have we got anything new?” 

He didn’t really expect the answer to be positive considering just how close to Christmas it was. So he was pleasantly surprised when Daphne said, “Yes, there was a message on the answering machine, it must have come in after you’d both left, from a man called Richard Armitage. I rang him back this morning and he wants to talk to you about a missing person.” 

Lan felt himself perk up at that. Nineteen-eighty-six had been difficult, with both he and Sean taking a long time to recover from the injuries they’d received at the hands of a vengeful ghost at Halloween a year ago. As a consequence, neither of them had been able to work full time for the first six months. Their prolonged absence had had serious implications for the security and investigation business they’d started almost three years before, losing them a number of good pieces of work. Fortunately, things were slowly looking up, now that they were both fit again and a missing person case would be something they could get their teeth into.

“Did he give any details?”

“No, he said he’d rather wait and talk to you and Sean face to face so I made him an appointment for two o’clock this afternoon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few minutes before two, Sean and Lan were sitting on comfortable chairs on either side of a low coffee table. They had opted for the informal seating because they found it made talking to prospective clients less intimidating than sitting on either side of a desk.

“Oh look, it’s snowing.” Daphne walked over to the window and peered outside. 

Lan got up and joined her to get a better view. The sky was a sullen grey and the dark surface of the road outside was already covered in a soft, white blanket. 

Sean came and stood beside them, resting his hands on the window sill. “I think you ought to get off home, Daph. It doesn’t look as though the snow is going to stop anytime soon and you’ve got to drive up that horrible hill on your way.”

Lan saw a look of relief cross her face. He knew Daphne hated driving in bad weather.

“If you’re sure?” Daphne said, already heading over to put on her coat.

“Of course we are,” Lan said. “We’ll wait a while and see if Mr Armitage turns up but then we’ll probably close up for the day. Just drive carefully and phone us when you get home so we won’t worry.”

“And don’t worry about coming in tomorrow, it’s Christmas Eve and we would’ve been packing up at lunchtime anyway,” Sean added.

Lan watched through the window as Sean helped Daphne clear the snow from her car. As soon as she had started the engine Sean hurried back inside. He immediately came over and stood close behind Lan, slipping his arms around his waist. Lan relaxed back against his lover and wished he hadn’t. “Jesus, Sean, you’re freezing.”

“Of course I am; it’s cold out there.”

“Then you should have put your coat on.” Lan twisted in Sean’s arms until they were facing each other. With one hand he smoothed the collar of Sean’s shirt. “You think our visitor will turn up in weather as bad as this?”

Sean glanced over at the clock. “He’s already a few minutes late so I think it unlikely. Maybe we should give him a bit longer just in case he’s having problems getting to us.”

Reluctantly leaving the shelter of Sean’s now warm arms, Lan headed over to the small kitchen area. “I’ll think positively and put the kettle on for when he gets here. I know we’ve got the money from selling the Defoe manuscript to fall back on but we can’t really afford to give up on possible work.”

Lan had filled the kettle and plugged it in when he heard the outer door open. After a few moments, a tall, striking man, carrying a black holdall and wearing a long wool overcoat, gloves and a hat came through the inner door into their office. 

Sean reacted first, walking over to their visitor and holding out his hand. “Mr Armitage? I’m Sean Bean.”

“Thank you and please call me Richard; Mr Armitage always reminds me of my father.” The man dropped the bag and hastily took off his right glove to shake Sean’s hand.

“I’m Orlando Bloom.” Their visitor was probably somewhere in his mid-thirties and while they were shaking hands Lan let his gaze linger. He was happily committed to Sean but it didn’t prevent him appreciating another good-looking man. 

“Shall I take your coat for you?”

“Please. It was a cold walk from the station, but it’s nice and warm in here.” Armitage took off his other glove and hat, stuffing them into one of his pockets before handing his overcoat to Lan. 

Without his coat Lan could see Armitage wasn’t carrying an ounce of extra weight, his shoulders were broad and his relaxed but ready for anything stance reminded Lan vividly of Bodie. 

Hanging the coat up Lan asked, “Can I get you some tea or coffee, Richard?”

“Coffee please, white with no sugar.” Armitage’s voice was deep and he spoke with a confidence that showed he was used to his opinions being given weight. He had a military background at officer level or Lan would eat his hat.

Lan dragged his eyes away from Armitage and said, “Sean?”

“Thanks, Lan.”

“Why don’t we have a seat and you can begin to tell me why you need our help.” Sean gestured to the padded chairs.

Keeping his ears open while Sean and Richard spoke about nothing more interesting than the weather and the sudden onset of the snow, Lan hurriedly made three mugs of coffee. He carried them over to the low table and put them down before taking a seat so that he was between Sean and Richard and at right angles to both of them.

“Okay, Richard, Daphne mentioned you had someone you wanted us to find. Can you tell us about that?” Sean got down to business.

“I think I should say first that I’ve come to you because you were recommended by an old friend of mine. He told me I could trust the two of you implicitly.” Armitage’s blue eyes focused on them as though he was actually weighing up the truth of that statement.

“Who’s the friend?” Lan asked.

“His name is Bodie and when I told him I needed to find someone I believed to be in this area he said you could help me.”

“Bodie sent you?” Sean voice rose a little with the question.

“Yes, we served together years ago but we’ve kept in touch. He’s been really helpful as he has a lot of contacts.” 

“How long have you known him?” Lan knew Bodie well enough to assume that if he had sent Armitage to them for help, his search was important and also that Bodie had an interest in a successful outcome.

“For about ten years now; we both served in the Parachute Regiment.”

“Are you still in the Army?” Lan wanted to know, secretly pleased that his early guess had been right.

Richard leaned forward to pick up his coffee. “No, I came out a month ago. Since then I’ve been trying to find Aidan, my….” 

With the way his words tailed off Lan could tell that Aidan was someone important to Richard but that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with revealing just how close they might be. Not something that surprised him given that Richard had spent many years in the Army.

“And this is what you need our help with?” Lan asked before the silence could become too uncomfortable.

“Yes.”

“Okay, why don’t you tell us more about him?” Sean suggested.

Taking a mouthful of coffee Richard was silent for a moment while he seemed to organise his thoughts. “I met Aidan in May 1985, so about eighteen months ago, in Belfast, during my third tour over there. He’s a journalist and was born in Dublin but moved to the north when he went to university. When I met him he was working for the Belfast Telegraph as a reporter.”

“What makes you think he’s in Bristol now?” Lan asked and realised that he and Sean had automatically slipped into the familiar pattern of taking turns to ask Richard questions. 

“I tracked down some of his friends in Belfast and finally, after a bit of persuasion, they told me Aidan was in Bristol.”

“It shouldn’t be too hard to find him if you’re sure he’s here in the city. Bristol isn’t that big.”

Lan watched Richard carefully, gauging his reaction to Sean’s statement and saw a look of profound sadness cross his features. There was definitely more here than Richard had revealed so far and it didn’t take Lan’s second sight to know what it was likely to be.

“You’re right, Sean, and in normal circumstances I wouldn’t have needed to ask for your help, but the circumstances aren’t exactly normal here.”

“I think you need to tell us the full story but with the weather as it is now I think we should take this conversation somewhere more comfortable where there is something stronger than coffee,” Lan said firmly.

When they both looked at him questioningly Lan pointed out of the window. Though it wasn’t late enough for the sun to have set completely, the sky was totally dark and the heavy storm clouds were hanging low over the city.

“Lan?” Sean queried. 

“Richard has come straight to us from the station so my guess is he hasn’t sorted out anywhere to stay tonight.” Lan glanced at Richard and received a terse nod in response. “So, I think he should stay with us. We got a spare room and as he is a friend of Bodie’s it’s the least we can do.” The moment he’d made the offer, Lan felt the rightness of his suggestion and though he and Sean hadn’t discussed it, he hoped Sean would go along with his idea. 

“I couldn’t possibly put you to so much trouble. You don’t even know me,” Richard protested.

“No, Lan’s right. Bodie’s been a good friend to us over the last few years and it’s the least we can do. Besides, I don’t think you’ll find anywhere to stay in Bristol this close to Christmas and with the weather as it is.”

Richard gave a sheepish half smile. “I suppose you’re right. When I found out Aidan was here I didn’t wait around, I just got on the first available flight from Belfast to Bristol and then got the train into Temple Meads station. But look, if you phone Bodie I know he’ll vouch for me, if you’re the least bit worried about letting me into your home.”

Lan smiled. “The fact that you offered is enough for us, so, that’s settled then. You’ll come home with us, we can talk and you can tell us more about Aidan and why you need us to make contact for you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With plummeting temperatures and gale force winds, the journey home was a nightmare. Lan had completed the police advanced driving course and done his share of driving in winter conditions but this was worse than anything he’d come across before. The snow being driven against the windscreen made seeing difficult and already the main roads were covered in several inches of snow. There were accidents, fortunately mostly minor, at nearly every junction where drivers hadn’t allowed enough time for their vehicles to stop. He was even more grateful that, when they had to replace the car that had been totalled in Cheddar two years earlier, they’d opted for second hand Range Rover with its four wheel dive capability. The freezing wind had pushed the snow into drifts nearly a foot high on some of the smaller roads, including the one where they lived and they all breathed a sigh of relief when Lan finally pulled up on the driveway.

They went inside quickly. In the hallway Lan pointed at the foot of the stair and said to Richard, “You can leave your bag there for now.”

Once they were settled in the kitchen, always the warmest room in the house, Lan opened the fridge. Looking over his shoulder he said, “Have a seat. So, what can I get you to drink, Richard? We’ve got beer or white wine here or there’s red wine, scotch, brandy, tea or coffee if you want something warmer.”

“I’d prefer another cup of coffee really,” Richard replied.

“Okay. Sean?” Lan queried as he closed the fridge.

“Coffee for me too, but let me do this; you made the last one.”

Sean walked over to put the kettle on and once he’d done that he turned and propped himself up against the work top. Looking over at Richard he said, “So, Bodie told you to come and find us.”

“Yes.”

“What do you know about what he’s doing now?”

With a wry smile Richard said, “I know he’s working for CI5, he said he’d put in a good word for me if I wanted to apply. I told him I wasn’t interested, at least not yet. I need to work things out with Aidan before I make any decisions.”

The kettle switched off with a loud click when it boiled and Sean made the coffee.

Handing out the mugs he sat down at the table. “Did he say anything else about us?”

“How do you mean?” Richard looked at him expectantly.

“What I think Sean means is did Bodie explain that we’re together?” Lan answered.

“Yes he did. He said that’s why you’ll be willing to help me.”

“You and Aidan were lovers?” Lan asked gently. “That must have been a very difficult situation for you both.”

Richard nodded but didn’t speak.

“We’ve been out of the police force a while so I’m not really up to date on the legal position but I’m pretty sure that same sex relationships aren’t legal in the Republic of Ireland yet,” Sean offered.

“They’re not, at least not if you want a physical relationship. That’s why Aidan came to Ulster to study. He knew he was gay and that if he wanted to act on it he had to leave home.”

“But you couldn’t be open about how you felt or you would have been dishonourably discharged from the Army,” Lan added.

Richard nodded. “I would have been court marshalled immediately. The Army is still one of the most intolerant places to work.”

“You should try working for the Met,” Sean muttered.

“So how did you and Aidan meet?” Lan asked, ignoring Sean’s comment. That part of their life was long over and leaving the Met had meant they could be together openly.

“By accident really, he was a passenger in a car that was stopped for a random search at a checkpoint and I was in charge of the detail. While the guys were checking the car over we got talking. At first I was suspicious because from his accent he was obviously from the south and thought he might be a member of the IRA and I was sounding him out. But, reading between the lines of the things he said and probably because I understood better than most, I soon figured out why he had moved to Belfast.”

“I’m sorry to do this but I have to ask the question,” Sean said seriously. “Given that he was in a relationship with a British soldier, how sure are you that he left Ulster under his own steam? And, how sure are you that he is definitely in Bristol?”

“I know being with me put him in danger, Sean, believe me. Just being able to spend time with him was incredibly difficult but I couldn’t ignore how I felt. When I knew my regiment were being recalled I tried to persuade him to come to England with me. He refused and said he had a life and a job there and even if he did come to England with me there would be no point, because we couldn’t be open about our relationship while I was still in the Army.” 

“Do you think he left because you argued?”

“No. We’d had disagreements before, but always got over them.” Richard toyed with the handle of his coffee mug before continuing, “Our argument did make me think long and hard about what I wanted for the future and I came to the conclusion that I had to choose between the Army and Aidan. There was no contest in my mind so I decided to buy myself out. But, before I could tell him of my decision, when we were out on patrol, my unit was attacked. We lost three men and I ended up being medevac’d out and back to the Army hospital in Catterick. I was stuck there for a month and in the end they agreed to invalid me out of the Army. When they released me from hospital, the first thing I did was try to find Aidan but he had vanished.”

“Do you have any idea why he might have left?”

“I’m sure if it was down to the pressure of being with me, then he would have walked out long before. So, I have no idea why he left and why he has made no attempt to contact me. In those circumstances I don’t want to turn up unannounced on his doorstep and make him feel obliged into agreeing to anything.”

Richard began tracing patterns on the tablecloth before speaking again and when he did Lan had to lean forward to hear him properly. 

“And that’s why I am so sure I need your help. I have to find out why he changed his mind and if he still wants me.”

Lan reached over and touched Richard’s hand to get his attention. When the other man was looking at him he said, “You’re right, there is a possibility he might have moved on but if, as you say, he was willing to be with you despite the risks over there then he doesn’t seem the type who is going to give up on you so easily.”

Richard lifted his head and his expression was bleak. “He isn’t. He’s the bravest person I’ve ever met and I feel like such a coward for asking you and Sean to go and see him first but I want him to be able to make his own decision without my presence influencing him at all.”

“Don’t worry, Richard, we’ll work something out; I promise.”


	2. 24th December 1986

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orlando meets Aidan and learns the truth of why he left

**24th December 1986**

Following a difficult drive into the centre of Bristol to the offices of the Bristol News, Lan sat in the brightly decorated reception area waiting for his first glimpse of Aidan Turner. The road conditions had made him doubly glad they’d told Daphne not to come in to work. Music was playing in the waiting area and Lan found himself humming along to some of the familiar Christmas Carol tunes while he waited.

After some discussion last night they’d agreed that he would be the best one to talk to Aidan and so, first thing this morning, he’d phoned requesting an appointment. He’d made a vague excuse about having some important information he had to share with the reporter and had arranged a meeting with him for midday.

Sean hadn’t taken offence when Lan had suggested that his northern accent might not strike the right note with the Irishman, being too similar to that of the Leicester-born Richard. Of course he’d had to make it up to Sean later, and as usual, his lover had demonstrated vividly how addicted Lan was to his special brand of northern charm.

Richard hadn’t been able to show them a picture of Aidan and, as a consequence, Lan had no idea what the man he was due to meet would look like. When a stunning looking guy, about his own height with dark curling hair and brown eyes had come into the reception area Lan hadn’t immediately assumed it was Aidan Turner.

“Orlando Bloom?”

The soft Irish accent gave the game away. Lan stood and took Aidan’s offered hand. “Yes, that’s me.” Lan didn’t miss the signs of sadness around Aidan’s eyes. Lan hoped that was an indication that Aidan was missing Richard as much as Richard as was missing him.

“Good to meet you but I’m not really sure what information you’re likely to have that I can do anything with as I’m not a crime reporter. I mostly cover political stuff.”

“Actually what I really wanted was to have a chat with you about a case my partner and I are working on.”

“Case?” Aidan looked puzzled for a second and then his face cleared. “Wait a minute aren’t you the private eye? The one who helped catch the serial killer at the end of last year? The story ran in the paper for ages and I read about it when I was researching for this job. I thought your name sounded familiar when you made the appointment but I couldn’t place it.”

Lan nodded. “Yes, that’s me. My partner Sean and I helped the police capture Greg Wootton.”

“So, what can I do for you? I’ve not been in Bristol for long so I’m not sure how much help I can give unless you want to know which politicians are faking their expenses.”

Lan smiled at his comment and then said, “Would it be possible to go somewhere more private to discuss this?”

Aidan nodded. “Sure. There’s an interview room we can use.”

Lan followed Aidan along a short corridor and into a small room which held nothing more than a small table with a straight backed chair on either side of it.

“Have a seat. Can I get you a drink?”

“No, that’s okay,” Lan replied as he sat down. 

Aidan sat down across the table from him and waited expectantly.

“We’re working on locating a missing person at the moment.”

“Missing person? I suppose I could find out if the editor was willing to run a photo and a description in the paper or something like that but it isn’t really my department.” Aidan’s reply was spoken casually but Lan had seen the way his hands had clenched briefly into fists where they were resting on the table.

“No, that’s okay; we don’t need that sort of help.” Lan floundered for a moment, all the persuasive phrases he’d practised fleeing his mind. Aidan was far more nervous than Lan would have expected if he had simply moved to Bristol to get away from a relationship he’d grown tired of, which made him curious to learn more. “I’m sorry, Aidan, I know you don’t know me other than by reputation so asking you to trust me is going to sound like the worst possible idea.”

Aidan tensed and started to rise to his feet but Lan put his hand on Aidan’s arm lightly, careful not to give the impression he was holding him in place. “Wait and hear me out, please. I promise I’m no danger to you. Just listen to what I have to say and then you can make whatever decision you want and I’ll abide by that.”

It took several moments but eventually Aidan sank down into his chair again. “Okay, say your piece and I’ll listen, but make it quick.”

“The first thing to tell you is the name of the man who hired us to find you.”

“Me! Why would you be looking for me?”

“It was Richard; he asked me to come and see you.”

“Rich? No, he can’t see me, you don’t understand. If he comes near me he’s in danger!”

“What?” Lan hadn’t been expecting that response. The threat was to Richard and not Aidan? 

“They told me to leave and that I couldn’t see him again. They threatened him so I did what they wanted. I left and haven’t seen him in nearly two months. I don’t want anything to happen to him because of me.” Aidan’s words tumbled over one another as he hunched over in his chair and wrapped his arms around himself as though he was cold. 

As the colour drained from Aidan’s face, Lan had a flash of inspiration and began to understand why Aidan had left Ulster so abruptly. “Aidan, it’s okay. No one is going to hurt you or Richard.”

“No! You don’t understand; it’s too dangerous. They said they’d kill him.”

Lan stood straighter and automatically made sure that the door to the interview room was securely closed. “Who said, Aidan?”

“The men who came to see me, four of them, dressed in black and they wore hoods, so I didn’t see their faces. They made me kneel and put a gun to my head; I thought they were going to execute me. I was so scared.”

“Were they from the IRA?”

“I don’t know but I don’t think so. Only one of them spoke but he had a scarf around his face and it muffled his voice. His accent was Irish but it sounded wrong.”

“What did they say? Can you remember exactly?”

“Not exactly, but the gist of it was that they had heard an ambush had been planned and were going to make sure Richard’s unit were the ones who were targeted. I wasn’t sure I believed them, but then Rich was hurt only a little while later, before I could warn him.”

“What else did they tell you?”

“They said they knew all about us and unless I agreed to leave Belfast and never see him again they would arrange another attack and next time he would die. I couldn’t let that happen.” Aidan buried his face in his hands.

Lan thought over what Aidan had said before suggesting, “It doesn’t make sense. Why would a paramilitary group have a problem with you and Richard being together? It could only help them to discredit the British Army if the truth came out.”

Aidan lifted his head to respond. “I’ve been thinking over what happened for the last two months and don’t think they were coming after me for fraternising with the enemy. They would have put a bullet in my head and left my body somewhere easy to find as an example.”

Lan nodded. “That’s true.” He thought for a moment longer. “So that means they weren’t really interested in you... they were using you to get to Richard. Richard being revealed as gay would have meant disgrace for his regiment, wouldn’t it?”

“I suppose so. But that means it was his own people, the men he trusted with his life, who turned on him…”

“I know. But the good news is that Richard has left the Army now. So the situation has changed.”

“What? But it was his life. He’d made captain and told me that he was certain to be promoted again in another few years.” Aidan looked completely stunned by that piece of information.

“When it came down to a choice between you and the Army, Aidan, he chose you. After he got out of hospital he went looking for you. He eventually tracked you down here and now he wants to see you again.”

“But the danger…” Aidan looked down at the floor and wouldn’t meet Lan’s eyes.

“Listen I’ve only known Richard a very short time but do you honestly think he would let a threat force him to leave you? And, it’s obvious you’re missing him,” Lan stated quietly.

Aidan snorted in disgust. “Of course I miss him. Leaving him was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.”

Lan pushed. “Come on, he’s waiting for you at our place. You’re both safe now that he’s left the Army. You love each other and it’s Christmas Day tomorrow, surely you don’t want to have to spend any more time without him?”

“I…”

“Come on, Aidan, take the chance,” Lan coaxed.

Slowly, Aidan lifted his head and once he met Lan’s gaze he nodded. “Okay I’ll go and see how soon I can get away. It shouldn’t be long as there’s no paper tomorrow and most people are heading off to the pub this afternoon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard paced around their living room. With every circuit he checked the clock on the mantelpiece again and each time Sean knew only a few seconds had passed.

When he finally sat down he shifted uncomfortably under Sean’s knowing gaze. “I’m sorry,” he eventually managed.

“It’s okay. Waiting is awful,” Sean agreed.

“You sound as though you know something about that.”

Deciding to try to distract him Sean said, “I do. Not long after Lan and I got together a nasty piece of work called Brian O’Donnell staged an ambush and took Lan to use against me. He wanted revenge because he blamed me for the death of his nephew. The hours until I found Lan were hellish.”

The horror of their time in the hands of Brain O’Donnell would never completely go away because Sean had come so near to losing the most important thing in his life, even if he hadn’t been truly aware of his feelings for Lan at the time.

“O’Donnell had tortured Lan and he was in a bad way. I thought he was going to die in my arms. Then, he woke for a couple of minutes, admitted he loved me and then passed out before I could tell him how I felt in return. It was five years ago but the fact that all I could do was sit there and listen to him breathe, and pray each exhale wouldn’t be his last, still haunts me.”

“But you both got out.”

“Eventually. O’Donnell had a gun to Lan’s head and was threatening to shoot him when the cavalry turned up. We were both hit and the last I saw of Lan he was lying on a filthy warehouse floor covered in blood. I was convinced he was dead, that I’d been too slow and it wasn’t until nearly a week later that I discovered he was actually alive. I tracked him down and it took everything I had to persuade him that I hadn’t been avoiding him because his admission had scared me off.”

“You’ve been happy together since then?”

“Yes even though for the first couple of years we had to hide our relationship. We still have our ups and downs, like most couples, but I would do anything for him and I know he would do anything for me.”

“I guess in an ideal world Aidan would drop everything and move in with me but that might be a bit difficult as I don’t have anywhere to live at the moment.” Richard gave a self-deprecating smile. “I have savings and my pension so I’m planning on buying somewhere as soon as I know where it needs to be.”

Just then the phone rang and Sean hurried to answer. He was aware that Richard rose to his feet too and followed him over to where the phone sat amid several Christmas decorations he and Lan hadn’t managed to put up so far. 

“Sean?”

“Lan? How did the chat go? Did you manage to persuade him?” 

“Yeah, I did. We’re leaving now and hope to be back in about half an hour.”

“Half an hour? That’s great. Richard’s been pacing like a caged tiger for most of the morning.” Sean turned and gave him a grin. “It’s okay; I managed to stop myself from punching him.” 

“There’s a lot we need to talk about. Aidan ran because he was threatened.”

“What? Is there any danger if you bring him here?” Sean was aware of Richard prowling closer and a look of horror crossing his face.

“No, I don’t think so. Aidan wasn’t really the target but I’ll let him explain it all to Richard and then we can see if he agrees with my reading of the situation.” 

Sean and Orlando spoke for a few minutes then Sean said, “Okay. Look, get back here as soon as you can, but drive carefully. Yeah, I know you did the driving course but just be careful. I’ll fill him in on the details. See you soon, love.”

“Is he coming?” Were Richard’s first words as soon as Sean put down the phone.

Sean nodded, “Yeah, he is but…”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Richard demanded.

“I think you need to talk to Aidan to get the full story but the brief highlights are that Aidan ran because he’d been threatened with your safety. They told him they were responsible for the attack on you and your men and that they’d kill you if he didn’t leave the country and never contact you again.” 

“Oh God! I knew being with me would put him in danger. They could have killed him too.”

“Lan doesn’t think Aidan was the target. He thinks it more likely that the men who threatened him were from your battalion and thought you being gay would bring disgrace on them.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Richard, I really don’t know any more and most of what I’ve told you is Lan’s guesswork. Hopefully, Aidan can explain everything that happened in more detail when they get here so we can figure it out.”

The next thirty minutes dragged unmercifully and Sean found himself pacing alongside Richard for much of that time. Eventually, Sean heard the sound of a car pulling up on the drive and rushed to the window. Lan waved at him and Sean could see the outline of another man sitting in the passenger seat, barely illuminated by the car’s interior light. 

Sean opened the front door and stood back to let the two men inside. Lan was in the lead and he didn’t say a word, just grabbed Sean’s hand and pulled him away and into the kitchen.

Following along without making a fuss Sean waited until Lan had closed the kitchen door before offering, “You want a drink?” 

“God, yes.”

Moving around Lan, Sean found the bottle of Scotch in a cupboard and poured them both a generous measure. As he handed one of the glasses to Lan he said, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. No problems at all on the way home unless you count the bloody weather.”

Sean warmed the glass between his hands. “Well you got him here, do you think they’ll make a go of it?”

Lan took sip before answering. “Yeah, I think they will. It’s obvious they’re crazy about each other and now they have the chance to be together and to be open about their feelings.”

Sean swallowed some of the potent liquid before putting his glass down and pulling Lan into his arms. “Not too open I hope; we’ve only just had the couch cleaned.”

Lan laughed, the vibrations travelling through Sean’s body pleasurably. “Spoilsport.” 

Before Sean could respond he heard the living room door open and then quiet footsteps on the stairs. Raising his eyebrows he grinned at Lan. “It looks like the couch is safe for the time being.”

Lan just gave a happy sounding sigh and leaned further into Sean’s embrace saying, “I think we’re going to have guests for Christmas.”

Running his hand through Lan’s soft curls Sean shrugged. “That won’t be a problem. Between us we’ve bought enough food to feed twelve so there’ll be plenty to go around.” 

Lan leaned forward and kissed Sean. “I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. Something tells me this is the beginning of something special.”

Sean eyed him sharply. “Are you getting a premonition?” 

“Perhaps, but it’s all good. I think things are definitely looking up,” Lan replied.

“Well, I know exactly what to do to help that happen.” 

“What?” Lan challenged.

Sean pulled him over until they were standing underneath the small sprig of mistletoe they’d pinned up earlier that week. “I love you, Lan.” Then Sean’s mouth covered his and Lan found all thoughts of Richard, Aidan and Christmas fleeing, superseded by the joy of being in the arms of his best friend and lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I have to add a note here to say that attitudes towards gay or lesbian members of the armed forces in the UK have changed drastically since the 1980s. The UK armed forces now have a most enlightened outlook and there is no discrimination tolerated by virtue of a person’s sexuality.


	3. 24th December 1986 part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aidan's POV

**24th December 1986**  
Aidan sat silently as Orlando drove them through the snow covered streets. Due solely to the man sitting next to him, whom he only knew by reputation, Aidan had ignored the urging of work colleagues to join them for drinks, had gone home, changed and packed an overnight bag and was now allowing himself to be driven to the outskirts of Bristol. He’d left a note for his flatmates, George and Nina, telling them that he was staying with friends over Christmas. 

He’d done all of it because there was a chance to see Richard again. Richard, who’d crashed into his nice orderly life in Belfast and turned everything upside down. Richard, who in the space of only a few days had climbed into his bed and into his heart and made himself a place there. Being without him had left a gaping hole that Aidan had known he would never be able to fill.

Just the thought of seeing Richard had him half hard; Aidan didn’t want to imagine how he might react when he finally got to see him again because the results would be only too obvious to someone trained to be observant, like Orlando.

“Are you okay?” Orlando interrupted his thoughts.

“Yeah, I guess so. It’s all been a bit sudden.” Aidan wiped his now sweaty palms on the leg of his jeans and accepted that he was still crap at hiding how he was feeling.

“It’ll be fine, Aidan, you’ll see. I’ve only known Richard for a couple of days but he seems like a good man.”

“What? Only a couple of days? But why did he get you to come and talk to me?”

Orlando laughed suddenly and Aidan felt his head begin to spin. This was all happening too fast.

“We have a mutual friend, someone Richard served with some years ago. He told Richard to contact us and that we would help him.”

“So you’re doing this as a favour for your friend?”

“Partly. I know you said you’d heard of me so I assume you also know of my partner, Sean?”

“Yes. I admit the reports I read were a little sketchy on the details but I’m assuming you are more than just business partners.”

Orlando didn’t respond for a moment while he negotiated a junction. The driving conditions were treacherous and while Aidan might have felt more comfortable in his own car, it was reassuring to be travelling in the large 4 x 4. Once they were on the move again Orlando answered, “Yes we are; we’ve been together now for more than five years. We met when I joined the Flying Squad as a detective sergeant, Sean was my DI. It took a while for us to work things out and we had to hide our relationship for several years so we both understand the pressure you and Richard have been under.”

“Do you really think that it was members of Rich’s regiment and not one of the para-military groups who came and threatened me? And that now Rich has left the Army he’ll be safe?” Aidan needed reassurance that meeting wouldn’t put Richard in danger. He loved him too much to risk that.

“I think that’s the most likely explanation because, like the Met, the Army has some of the most homophobic bastards out there.”

Orlando slowed to a halt at another junction; fortunately this one had no other cars in sight. “Honestly, Aidan, you must feel like you don’t know your arse from your elbow right now. Believe me I can understand that, but tomorrow is Christmas Day, you’re welcome to stay with us and we’ll make sure you and Richard get time to talk and work things out.”

Aidan chewed on his lower lip for a moment before blurting out, “Do you think he’ll be disappointed I didn’t ignore their intimidation? That I did what they wanted and ran? I’m not like him; I’m not used to dealing with threats and people pointing guns at my head.”

“How could he be? Richard’s been in the army for all of his working life and he must understand what it’s like for civilians to be confronted with something they’ve never had to face before.”

Aidan hunched his shoulders. “I just feel that I’ve let him down.”

Orlando grabbed his shoulder fleetingly, giving it a squeeze. “He’s been moving heaven and earth to find you. That’s proof that he doesn’t think any the worse of you, Aidan.” 

Allowing Orlando’s words to roll around in his head Aidan fell into thinking what would happen when he saw Richard again. Almost immediately visions of the two of them on crisp white sheets flooded his mind and he had to consciously stop himself shifting in his seat. They needed to talk, not fall straight into bed together! Even if they weren’t meeting in a stranger’s house there were things they needed to discuss and imagining Richard spread out beneath him while he traced patterns over his body with his fingers and tongue were not helping him sort out his thoughts.

The rest of the journey passed in silence until Orlando steered the car up onto a driveway in front of a large detached house. He switched off the engine and turned to Aidan. “We’re here. As soon as we get inside Sean and I will keep out of the way so that you and Richard have a chance to talk.”

He turned to open the car door but Aidan caught his arm. “Thank you for all you’ve done, Orlando. Whatever the outcome, I appreciate your help.”

Orlando gifted him with a brilliant smile. “It’s not a bother at all and I’m confident you’ll sort things out.”

The house door opened and Aidan’s attention immediately focused on the tall figure standing in shadows slightly behind the blond man in the doorway who had to be Sean. Taking several deep breaths to calm his racing heartbeat, Aidan slid out of the passenger door and followed Orlando up the path. 

Orlando was true to his word and as soon as the front door had been closed he grabbed Sean by the hand and pulled him off towards the back of the house leaving Aidan and Richard standing in the hallway. It seemed to Aidan as though they stood there staring at each other for several hours while he drank in the sight of Richard in the flesh. It was probably only a couple of seconds before Richard pushed open a door on his left and gestured silently that Aidan should precede him into the room.

The room was simply furnished with full to bursting bookshelves along two of the walls, a sofa, a couple of armchairs and a television on a wooden stand in one corner. Some effort had been made for Christmas as there was also a real Christmas tree sitting in one corner, the lights glowing softly supplying the only light. 

Surprised that he had even registered the details of the room when all he could really see was Richard, Aidan pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans to hide how they were trembling with an almost uncontrollable desire to grab hold of Richard and never let him go again.

“How are you, Aid?” Richard’s voice was low and as intoxicating as he remembered.

“Okay. You?” Aidan looked him over but couldn’t see any sign of his recent injuries, maybe he was a little pale but that could have been the lighting.

“Fine.”

“Orlando said that you’d left the Army.” Aidan wanted to swear at this ridiculous situation; he was asking stupid questions when all he wanted was to feel Richard’s arms around him, and Richard’s body, preferably naked, pressed against his. 

“Yes, I have.”

“But it was your life.” Aidan let his gaze drop and stared unseeingly at the pattern in the carpet.

“It was, but I found out there were things more important to me.”

“What…?” What could be more important? And did Aidan want to know the answer?

Suddenly Richard was there in front of him, his hand gripping Aidan’s chin painfully hard and tipping his head back. The three inch height difference made it a little uncomfortable but Aidan wasn’t going to complain at being this close to Richard again.

“You, Aidan Turner. You were more important to me than anything else. I’m sorry I was such a fucking idiot and it took me so long to realise it.”

“Me?” 

Aidan knew he was staring like an idiot but his mouth didn’t seem to want to utter any more words.

“Yes you. I love you, you fool!”

Then, they were in each other’s arms and Aidan luxuriated in the sensation of Richard’s hard body pressed against him. Taking a deep breath, Aidan said, “I’m sorry I ran. But once I knew they hurt you, I couldn’t risk it happening again. I was too scared and I loved you too much.”

“Don’t blame yourself. You did a very brave thing by coming here. You left everything, your family, friends and your job, to keep me safe. How could I think badly of you?”

Aidan didn’t reply, just burrowed closer until his nose was touching Richard’s neck, he inhaled the familiar scent of aftershave and something distinctly Richard. Without thinking he let his lips travel from Richard’s neck to his ear not missing the slight shudder his action caused.

Needing to be even closer, Aidan put his hands on either side of Richard’s head and drew his face down, clashing their mouths together. It wasn’t subtle and their kiss was hot, wet and desperate. 

Adjusting his stance left Aidan straddling one of Richard’s legs and rutting against his thigh. Tearing his mouth away, Aidan looked around frantically for somewhere they could get horizontal. He needed Richard inside him and he needed it now. They could work everything else out later.

“Need you, Rich” he moaned. “Need you now.” 

“Yes!” Richard sounded breathless, his hands sliding down to grab the hem of Aidan’s sweater.

“Here?” Aidan wanted to get naked too, but he was uncomfortably aware they were standing in front room belonging to a couple of people he hardly knew. 

“No, not here!” Richard had succeeded in hauling Aidan’s sweater halfway up his back.

“Not.., Where…?” 

Richard understood his garbled question and nodded towards the door. “My stuff’s in the spare room, upstairs now!”

Richard snatched Aidan’s hand and dragged him out of the lounge and up the stairs. Aidan followed in a bit of a daze. He’d expected to end Christmas Eve slightly drunk and feeling miserable, he certainly hadn’t expected to be with Richard again.

There were a number of doorways leading off the upper hallway and when Richard selected one Aidan followed blindly. As soon as he was through the door, Richard crowded him back against it, forcing the door closed with a loud clunk. 

The room was flooded with light when Aidan’s shoulder hit the light switch. Without hesitation, he started on the buttons of Richard’s shirt fumbling a little in his excitement, but needing to touch his skin. 

Richard wasn’t passive either, pulling at Aidan’s sweater until they were both tangled in their own and each other’s clothing. “Stop a minute, Aid, we need to cooperate or we’ll never get anywhere,” Richard gasped frantically.

“Okay.” Aidan nodded and, after pulling Richard in for another long kiss tugged his sweater and the t-shirt he was wearing underneath off together. At the same time he toed off his shoes. His jeans came next, which was a huge relief as his cock had been complaining about being so confined. Finally, he stripped off his briefs, bending down to get rid of his socks in one movement.

Pleased with his economy of actions, he had time to stare as Richard got rid of the last few items of his clothing. As Aidan's eyes moved over the familiar frame he saw a new scar over Richard’s ribs and realised in horror that it must be from where he had been injured a short time ago.

Without thinking he closed the distance between them, putting out a trembling hand to stroke lightly over the puckered skin. “Are you okay now?” he asked hoarsely.

Richard’s hand came up under his chin once more. He angled Aidan’s head until they were looking eye to eye and nodded. “I’m fine.”

Grinning Aidan said, “Bed?”

Richard’s smile became predatory. “Fuck, yes and right now.”

In a mad scramble and without letting go of each other, they lurched over to the bed, landing in an ungainly sprawl with Richard on the bottom. The bed creaked alarmingly at the impact which, instead of being worrying, made them both start laughing.

Cupping his hand behind Richard’s neck, Aidan rolled onto his back, pulling Richard with him so that he was lying over Aidan, covering his slightly smaller frame with his larger one. The sensation of skin on skin felt wonderful and Richard’s warmth chased away any lingering chill. 

There was no need for words, they might have been apart for a time but they had been lovers for long enough to know exactly what the other needed. There was a bit of flailing when Richard tried to find the lube but otherwise their movements fitted so well together they might have been choreographed.

When Richard slid into him, Aidan couldn’t hold back a groan of satisfaction. 

After another deep kiss, Richard began to move, pulling out and pushing back in again, hitting all the right places. Aidan opened his mouth to urge more of the same but before he could say anything, Richard’s mouth covered his once more and soon it was all Aidan could do to hang on for the ride.

He shouted when he came, the sound swallowed by Richard’s mouth on his. His come was slick on his stomach as Richard continued to thrust into him, grunting with effort. Wrapping his arms and legs around the taller man, Aidan whispered into his ear, “Come now for me. I want to feel you filling me.” Then he bit down on the lobe of Richard’s ear. The result was instantaneous, his lover jerking and cursing through his own climax.

Richard collapsed onto him but Aidan didn’t mind his weight. He felt warm, secure and most importantly, he knew how much Richard loved him.

“I’ll find something to clean us up with,” Richard mumbled into his ear. 

But when he tried to pull away, Aidan wrapped his arms around Richard’s shoulders and held him close. “Wait a little longer.”

When they finally moved apart Richard said, “We need to talk about what happened in Belfast.”

Aidan took a deep breath and concentrated on the ceiling over the bed. He knew they had to talk about it, but he couldn’t bear for Richard to be disappointed with him. “It was the day after you were hurt; I’d just got home after spending hours being shoved from one place to another, trying to find out how you were and they were waiting in the flat for me.”

“How many?”

“Four. They were all wearing masks so I couldn’t see their faces, but only one of them did any talking.”

“What did he say?”

“He said I had to stop seeing you and if I ignored the warning he would make sure that you would die a hero’s death, killed in the line of duty. Then he said if I made a fuss or tried to warn anyone they would kill you and then go after my family.”

“Did he actually say the words ‘a hero’s death’?”

Aidan tried to remember but so much of what had been said that evening had passed him by because of worry for Richard and his family. “I think so. But I honestly can’t be sure. I was so scared. At first I thought they were going to kill me because they made me kneel and one stood behind me with a gun to my head.”

Aidan felt himself pulled into Richard’s arms. “Oh, Aid, I’m so sorry. I guessed that being with me might put you into danger but I never thought it would be part of my own regiment who would be responsible.”

“What makes you so sure it was them?” Aidan let himself be held. In Richard’s arms he could forget those events for a while.

“I’m basing my conclusion on what they said about a hero’s death. That doesn’t sound like anything the IRA would want to do. They’d want to discredit me and make my death something ignominious. There were some men serving with me who would feel that I was letting down the name of the regiment by having a relationship with you. I’m guessing as to their identity but I’m pretty sure I’ve worked out who it was who came to see you.”

“So what do we do now? Can we report them?”

“No, I don’t think so; it would be your word against theirs and you didn’t actually see their faces.”

“Then we’re no better off! In fact we’re in more danger because we are here together. I’m sorry Rich, but I can’t let my mum and dad be threatened. As much as it would break my heart to chose…”

“It’s okay, you won’t need to. I’m sure that now I have left the regiment we are okay. But, to be on the safe side, I’ll have a word with a few people I know and make sure they are aware of the situation.”

“These people, do they know you’re gay?”

“Some of them.” Richard smiled at him. “The rest are about to find out.”

“Are you sure you want to do that? Come out to everyone?”

Richard leaned down and kissed him gently before replying, “You’re worth it to me.”

After thinking over what Richard had said Aidan realised he couldn’t see why telling some friends would be a deterrent. “So what would these friends do? How would they keep you and my parents safe?”

“I will give them the names of those I think were responsible and someone will have a quiet word and suggest that now I have left the Army, they should let the subject drop.”

Before he could respond there was a knock on the bedroom door and a voice Aidan assumed must belong to Sean said, “Richard, Aidan, we’re making some pasta for dinner if you’re hungry? It’ll be ready in about thirty minutes.”

“Thanks, Sean.” Richard’s voice rumbled from where he was half leaning over Aidan.

Aidan turned his head and was greeted with Richard’s grin. “So, are you hungry?”

Playing on the double meaning to his words, Aidan shrugged. “Not sure, are you going to try to tempt me?”

“I could but I don’t know about you but I’d really like dinner! I was so nervous before you arrived that I couldn’t eat lunch.”

“You? Nervous?”

Richard nodded, his face serious. “You’d better believe it. I might have been trained to face down armed opponents but seeing you again was so important to me…”

Aidan couldn’t help smile back at him. “It’s okay. We’re here and are together again.”

“I know and I want to spend the rest of my life with you Aid. I’ve got some options already but we need to make plans, if you want to that is?”

“How could you doubt it?” Aidan pressed a soft kiss to Richard’s lips. “Being here with you is the best Christmas present I could ever have imagined.”


End file.
